Why EU Companies Choose Open Source

A post on GrokLaw refers to a study with some interesting conclusions. Quote:

Companies did not cite low cost as their main reason for deploying open source, a factor usually considered one of the main reasons for open source’s success. Rather, companies said open source’s top benefit was the flexibility allowed by the open source licence. “The most important motivator was that they could deploy whenever they wanted, without having to go back to the vendor and negotiate over licences, without having to discuss it with the CFO or looking at the cost implications. They could just do it,” Lykkegaard said.

Another surprise was that many companies said the ability to customize open source software was important. IDC didn’t suggest this as one of the standard multiple-choice answers. Instead, many companies added it in the “comments” section of the survey. Vendors of prepackaged, proprietary software routinely downplay the customizability of open source, arguing customers are not interested in extending software themselves.